Ten Tribes

If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee: (Deuteronomy 30:4)

And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven. (Mark 13:27)

President Young said he had heard Joseph say that the Ten Tribes of Israel were on a portion of land seperated [sic] from this Earth.  (Wilford Woodruff Journal, September 8th, 1867)

President Young is quoted as saying that the Ten Tribes of Israel are on a portion of the Earth—a portion seperated from the main land.  (Matthias F. Cowley, quoted in Wilford Woodruff—History of His Life and Labours, 1909)

The Prophet Joseph once in my hearing advanced his opinion that the Ten Tribes were seperated from the Earth; or a portion of the Earth was by miracle broken off, and that in the latter-days it would be restored to Earth or be let down in the polar regions.  Whether the Prophet founded his opinion upon revelation or whether it was a matter of mere speculation with him, I am unable to say.  (Orson Pratt to John C. Hall, December 13th, 1875)

The stars which will fall to the Earth, are fragments, which have been broken off from the Earth from time to time, in the mighty convulsions of nature….some with the Ten Tribes…These must all be restored again at the ‘times of the restitution of all things.’ This will restore the Ten Tribes of Israel;…  (Parley P. Pratt, Millenial Star 1:258)

At night paid Sister Eliza R. Snow a short visit and had some conversation with her on the dividing of the Earth. She told me that she heard the Prophet say that when the Ten Tribes were taken away the Lord cut the Earth in two, Joseph striking his left hand in the centre with the edge of his right to illustrate the idea, and that they were on an orb or planet by themselves, and when they return with the portion of this Earth that was taken away with them, the coming together of these two bodies or orbs would cause a shock and make the ‘Earth reel to and fro like a drunken man.’  She also stated that he said the Earth was now ninety times smaller now than when first created or organized.  (Diary of Charles L. Walker, March 10th, 1881)

“Brother Brown, will you give us some light and explanation of the 5th verse on page 386 of the Hymn Book which formed another planet, according to the Hymn of Eliza R. Snow?”

“Yes, sir, I think I can answer your question.  Sister Eliza R. Snow, in visiting my grandparents, was asked by my grandmother:  ‘Eliza, where did you get your ideas about the Ten Lost Tribes being taken away as you explain it in your wonderful Hymn?’  She answered as follows:  ‘Why, my husband (The Prophet Joseph) told me about it.’ “

“Have you any other information that your grandfather ever gave you, as contained in any conversation with the Prophet Joseph Smith?”

“I have!  One evening in Nauvoo, just after dark, somebody rapped at the door very vigorously.  Grandfather said he was reading the Doctrine and Covenants.  He rose hurriedly and answered the summons at the door, where he met the Prophet Joseph Smith.  He said, ‘Brother Brown, can you keep me over night, the mobs are after me?’  Grandfather answered, ‘Yes, sir.  It will not be the first time, come in.’  ‘All right,’ the Prophet said, shutting the door quickly.  He came in and sat down.  Grandmother said:  ‘Brother Joseph, have you had your supper?’  ‘No’ he answered, ‘I have not.’  So she prepared him a meal and he ate it.  Afterward thy were in conversation relative to the principles of the Gospel.  During the conversation the Ten Lost Tribes were mentioned.  Grandfather said, ‘Joseph, where are the Ten Tribes?’  He said ‘Come to the door and I will show you, come on Sister Brown, I want you both to see.’  It being a starlight night the Prophet said  ‘Brother Brown, can you show me the Polar Star?’  ‘Yes, Sir,’ he said, pointing to the North Star.  ‘There it is.’  ‘Yes, I know’ said the Prophet, ‘But which one?  There are a lot of stars there.’  Grandfather said:  ‘Can you see the points of the Dipper?’  The Prophet answered, ‘Yes.’  ‘Well’ he said, ‘trace the pointers,’ pointing up to the largest star.  ‘That is the North Star.’  The Prophet answered:  ‘You are correct.  Now,’ he said, pointing toward the star, ‘do you discern a little twinkler to the right and below the Polar Star, which we would judge to be about the distance of twenty feet from here?’  Grandfather answered, ‘Yes, sir.’  The Prophet said:  ‘Sister Brown, do you see that star also?’  Her answer was, ‘Yes, sir.’  ‘Very well then, he said, ‘let’s go in.’ “

“Brother [Israel] Call, you have here read the statement of Brother [Homer M.] Brown [Patriarch of Granite Stake, and grandson of Benjamin Brown] concerning the Ten Tribes of Israel being upon another planet besides this.  ‘Yes, and I have heard my father [Anson] relate the same regarding the Ten Tribes, and father heard the Prophet make the same statement that the Ten Tribes are on a another planet, as related by Brother Brown.’ “  (Signed Statement by Israel Call, Given to High Councillor Theodore Tobiason, October 19th, 1924)

September 28, 1931, the late Lorin C. Woolley related in the writers presence, of having asked Eliza R. Snow and John Van Cott to relate the Prophet’s statement relative to the location of the ‘Ten Tribes’, and which was made by the Prophet at a meeting of a few Saints in Nauvoo.  Joseph stated, according to these two parties, that the ‘Ten Lost Tribes’ were on a planet seperated from this Earth by water and air.  (Joseph W. Musser, Truth 7:182)

A portion of the North country containing the Ten Tribes may be separated from the Earth. (Wilford Woodruff Journal, September 25th, 1859)

There are those I believe, who…have held that perhaps the Ten Lost Tribes were located upon some detached portion of the Earth.  As to that, I have no opinion to express.  (Brigham H. Roberts, Defense of the Faith and the Saints 2:447-480)

Philo Dibble testified in May, 1884 that in 1882 in responce to his asking the Prophet of the location of the Ten Tribes he was drawn a diagram showing the Earth with two spheres on either of its sides, one of which was supposed to be their residence. His son Sidney and Matthew M. Dalton made sworn statements to this effect in January 1906. I have heard Joseph say that ‘John was among the Ten Tribes beyond the North Pole.’ (Oliver B. Huntington Journal, January 13, 1881)

The Spirit of the Lord fell upon Joseph in an unusual manner, and prophesied that John the Revelator was then among the Ten Tribes of Israel who had been led away by Shalmaneser, King of Assyria to prepare  them for their return from their long dispersion, to again possess the land of their fathers.  (John Whitmer, DHC 1:176)

While ‘the camp of Zion’ was on the way to Missouri in 1834 Joseph was some ways ahead of the company one day, when there was seen walking with him by the roadside a man, a stranger.  When the company came up there was no person with him.  When at camp that night, Heber asked the Prophet who that man was; Joseph replied it was the beloved Disciple, John, who was then on his way to the Ten Tribes in the North. (Heber C. Kimball letter to Addison Everett, Oliver B. Huntington Journal, January 13, 1881)

Joseph said that John was to tarry until Christ came.  He is now with the Ten Tribes preaching to them, and when we can get ready for them they will come. (Life of Levi Ward Hancock, June 4, 1831)

ADDRESS TO EARTH

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by Eliza Roxy Snow Smith

(Millenial Star 13:272)

Thou, Earth, wast once a glorious sphere

 Of noble magnitude,

And didst with majesty appear

Among the worlds of God:

But thy dimensions have been torn

Asunder, piece by piece,

And each dismember’d fragment borne

Abroad to distance space.

When Enoch could no longer stay

Amid corruption here,

Part of thyself was borne away

To form another sphere:

That portion where his City stood

He gain’d by right approv’d;

And nearer to the throne of God

His planet upward mov’d.

And when the Lord saw fit to hide

The “ten lost tribes” away,

Thou, earth, wast sever’d to provide

The orb on which they stay.

And thus, from time to time, thy size

Has been diminished, till

Thou seemst the law of sacrifice

Created to fulfil.

The curse of God on man was plac’d;

That curse thou didst partake,

And thou has seen by turns disgrac’d

And honor’d for his sake

The vilest wretches hell will claim,

Now breathe thy atmosphere;

The noblest spirits heaven can name,

Have been embodied here.

Jesus, the Lord, thy surface grac’d;

He fell a sacrifice!

And now within thy cold embrace

The martyr’d Joseph lies!

When Satan’s hosts are overcome

The martyr’d princely race

Will claim thee their celestial home—

The royal dwelling place.

A “restitution” yet must come,

That will to thee restore,

By the grand law of worlds, thy sum

Of matter heretofore.

And thou, O Earth, wilt leave the track

Thou has been doom’d to trace—

The Gods with shouts will bring thee back

To fill thy native place.